The University of Canberra is introducing a new arrangement to improve dial-in access to the campus network. Dial-in access has been poor and the University has been unable to enhance its own communications infrastructure to respond adequately to the escalating demand. The new arrangement involves collaboration with ANU and ADFA in a joint contract with a commercial Internet Service Provider, OzEmail. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process. The intended benefits of the new arrangements include timely access to the network and access from home to all University network services including the restricted services. OzEmail is also offering a free help desk service. The OzEmail service will replace the existing limited dial-in access provided by each university. This arrangement will not impact on access to the network from within each university and will be available from April 1998.

Under the provisions of the agreement, the member universities must promote OzEmail as the preferred Internet Service Provider (ISP) for dial-in services. (Other ISPs can provide access to the University of Canberra’s publicly accessible network services but will not gain access to some restricted services. Currently these are primarily electronic information databases and WWW pages with access restricted to the canberra.edu.au domain.)

The universities have also agreed not to provide free, centrally resourced, dial-in access to staff and students after a reasonable period has been allowed for transition to the new service. As a result, it is planned that access to the existing University dial-in service by staff will be suspended from 30 April 1998.

Credit cards can be used for payments of all options; cheques will only be accepted for options c and d. Cash will not be accepted by OzEmail.

University staff who believe they need to have dial-in access to satisfy their University employment commitments should apply to their Dean or Executive Director for dial-in access via OzEmail with the costs borne by the University. The Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Committee has agreed that this access will be restricted to a fixed time option with an upper limit of 140 hours per year. The details of this arrangement are still being worked through with OzEmail. Staff themselves would be required to pay for any additional access. A special form to apply for access to the University-funded OzEmail service will be available from your Faculty or Division.

The detailed description of the approval process for UC funded staff dial-in arrangements will be e-mailed out to all staff as soon as the arrangements have been finalised. It is estimated that this information will be available within 10 working days.

The current staff dial-in services will not be disconnected until this arrangement is in place.

Staff required to provide dial-in maintenance for the University’s network or corporate data systems will continue to have access to a restricted University dial-in service, not through OzEmail. Staff in this category should contact Mr Bob Thompson, Client Services Division.

Staff wishing to arrange for their own dial-in access should complete an OzEmail registration form which will be available from the Help Desk in Building 10 or the Information Desk in the Library. Completed forms should be sent directly to OzEmail and they will send you a starter kit by return post. Expenses incurred by staff in using OzEmail may be tax deductible under the general deduction provision of the Income Tax Assessment Act if they are incurred in the earning of assessable income.

The arrangements noted above will be trialed for one year, monitored and evaluated in terms of customer service, reliability, costs and overall performance. This evaluation will be undertaken by the Universities. Meanwhile, as this is a new venture for the University, your patience and assistance is sought during the implementation of this new arrangement.

Adrian Westerman

Executive Director & Chief Accountant